Advances in gas-phase electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction

Recent advances in the gas - phase reaction of aromatics with cationic electrophiles are reviewed. The overall substitution reaction is analyzed in terms of its elementary steps. Mechanistic studies have been focused on the structure and reactivity of covalent and non - covalent ionic intermediates, which display a rich chemistry and provide benchmark reactivity models. Particular attention has been devoted to proton transfer reactions, which may occur intra or intermolecularly in arenium intermediates.